You Never Can Tell
by drollicpixie
Summary: Forks, Washington was a quiet, dismal town in 1955, divided between the haves and the havenots. Teenagers found their own entertainment but rich kid Edward Cullen was bored to tears at least until new girl Bella moved to town. AH AU B/E. M later chapters.
1. One Fine Day

A/N - This story will have alternating POV between Edward & Bella in the future and is rated M for future chapters.

**Forks, Washington - 1955**

Edward

All I could think about was sleep. That was all high school inspired in me. Exhaustion. It was hell but there I was, practically napping with my eyes open. I stared without focus at a crack in the wall nearby, imagining pictures in the fractures.

The cafeteria was in a tizzy, a buzz with gossip and conversation. Not that that was anything new but the topic was. A new girl had started at our small little school that morning and she was all anyone could talk about. Their excitement was both predictable and boring. The only people who seemed unconcerned about her arrival were those sat around me. My friends. We were the richest kids in Forks; everyone knew it, we certainly did and a quiet, mousy, new girl held no interest for us.

She, I wasn't actually sure of her name, had moved to town with her dad. No mother. What was that about? I was sure the old chatterboxes in town were already flapping their gums about that one. But her old man was a cop; he'd been brought into town to be sheriff. I guess that elevated her status in some people's eyes. Not mine.

They were renting a house; some small, white clapboard structure from before the war. Everyone in town knew and it was decidedly on the wrong side of the tracks, so to speak. There were no actual train tracks in Forks, Washington. It was more like the wrong side of Main Street. On one side, where I lived, where my friends lived, there was a mix of classic Victorians and new modern homes, like the one my family resided in. On the other side, her side, were renters, tradespeople, shopkeepers, servants. Your usual blue collars mostly. I tried not to think about that side of town. What was the point? I wasn't friends with anyone who lived over there.

As for my friends: Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, Emmett, and the few other kids we permitted to join us, we didn't cross Main Street unless it was to get loaded on cheap booze and ride the dirt road along the edge of town, racing the pristine cars our parents had purchased for us. Never for papers, of course, only for fun, for bragging rights. And that was the kind of shit that new girl's daddy was expected to put an end to. Well, not if we had any say in the matter. Drinking, racing, necking, smoking, and hanging out with our friends were the only things to do in Forks and no crusty lawman was going to deny us that privilege.

I caught Rosalie staring at herself in a gold compact, clearly admiring her own beauty as she powdered her delicate nose, fluffing her perfectly curled bangs. Her lips were blood red, immaculate. I never could understand how she managed to keep it looking so flawless with Emmett constantly kissing it off.

The man in question was seated beside his steady of over a year, an arm casually slung over her shoulders, quiet but possessive. Rosalie was head cheerleader, Emmett was captain of the football team even though he was only a junior. They were both in high demand with the opposite sex, social climbers mostly. I had known Emmett since birth, our parents belonged tot he same club, along with Alice's. Rosalie and her twin brother Jasper only moved to town in junior high but quickly established themselves within our little circle.

Alice and Jasper were a couple too. Sometimes I felt surrounded but dating didn't hold a lot of appeal to me, there were very few girls in Forks I would be willing to be linked with and even fewer that I would actively pursue. In fact, probably none. My parents had plans for me, I was going to go to Dartmouth and be a doctor like my father. A girlfriend really did not fit with those goals. I would have plenty of time for girls later and until then there were always the girls I occasionally took to the drive-in, they kept me occupied.

Glancing over at Jasper I noted the look on his face. He was painfully bored, much like myself. We really needed to get out; it was Friday. The whole group was going out. Beers and a race or two, that was what he needed to dust the boredom of school off of our shoulders.

Raking one hand through my hair I fumbled idly with my pen, a steel gray fountain, one of the nicest on the market and a gift from my father. He hoped it would encourage me to achieve in school. It didn't. But then again it was not as if I really had to work to do well at Forks Senior High School, the curriculum was severely lacking. My parents had discussed boarding school at one time but I had flatly refused. Why leave a good thing when I had it? And my friends, what about them?

The chatter around us died down to a dim roar, highly unusual for the middle of lunch period, and made me look up to see what was going on. For one brief, time slowing, heart stopping moment my eyes locked with a pair of gorgeous, wide, chocolate brown eyes. They were set in a pale, lovely, heart shaped face with pouty pink lips. Her hair was thick, mahogany, chestnut, rich and luxurious, swept back with a headband. She was enchanting. Without conscious thought to my actions I allowed my gaze to sweep over her form, dropping from her exposed neck to her saddle shoes. A lush body, full breasts pressed against a simple, fitted white sweater, which ended in a flouncy blue skirt but her posture belied nerves, embarrassment. And when she caught me mid-stare her cheeks flamed hot and pink. She quickly diverted her gaze, shuffling to a table with Jessica Stanley.

For one long moment I had no clue who she was and thought of gallantly rescuing her from those squares. How I could have possibly missed her up until that point? And then it struck me, she was the new girl. The new sheriff's daughter. My mood immediately darkened, all thoughts of making my move before all the other numbskulls around here evaporated. I would not be asking the likes of her out. What would people think? I shook my head, it was an impossibility, which really was a shame. My mouth practically watered as I imagined slipping my hands up under that sweater, coaxing her into laying back, letting me climb on top of her in my car, the pretense of a struggle, the sweet sounds of her kittenish mewls as I caressed her bare flesh.

I mentally slapped myself, knowing if I didn't stop that line of thought I would have a difficult time escaping the cafeteria and her presence unnoticed.

"Shall we?" Rosalie asked, standing, giving me a perfect reason to leave. I shrugged, stood and waited eagerly.

Our group exited quickly, barely glancing around us, the new girl watched our retreat with inquisitive eyes. The girls around her all leaned in conspiratorially likely filling her in on all the Forks gossip. At least she would know where she stood then.

It was raining, of course. Emmett draped his letterman jacket over Rosalie's slight shoulders before tucking her into his side, escorting her through the doors to the courtyard. Jasper in turn offered Alice his hand which she daintily accepted, dark ponytail bobbing behind her as she sashayed ahead in one of those tight pencil skirts she always insisted on wearing. But as we made it outside she dug around in her tiny red, satin purse and withdrew a pack of cigarettes, offering us each one. No one refused.

I needed a break, some time to get my head back in the game before Biology. Banner was on my case about the science fair and I was completely uninterested in the additional workload.

"So who's driving tonight?" Jasper glanced around.

"Me," I grinned, cocky, hoping for a chance to kick Jasper's ass again. He rolled his eyes.

"And me," Emmett added, turning to Rosalie. "Pick you up at seven?" She huffed but it was only for show.

"Fine." Snubbing out her smoke on the concrete wall behind us she looked over at Alice who was reapplying another coating of lipstick, coral pink. "Do you want to come over after school? We can get ready together." Alice's response was to squeal in delight, bouncing up and down in her black kitten heels and clapping her hands. Sometimes she was so juvenile.

With that we all dispersed, each heading to a different class. "See you in Latin, Ed!" Emmett called and I offered him a wave as I made my way to the science building. I was impressed, I had stopped for a smoke and I would still be early. I only hoped that Banner wouldn't be there to corner me.

In class I settled at my lab table. I had been seated alone since the beginning of the semester and while it could be tedious at times I was quite capable of handing the assignments on my own. I rather liked not having to interact with other students, especially less desirable ones. So many of our classmates were utterly and astonishingly dull; they had nothing to say, did nothing interesting, and didn't have the money to be involved in any of the same activities as I and my friends were.

Sighing I resigned myself to yet another boring lecture on some topic I had grasped while still in junior high thanks to the multitude of medical books and journals present in my home. My parents always encouraged me to explore and as such I was incredibly well read for a person of my age, once more separating me from many of my peers. I looked forward to college, to attending an ivy league school, to the rich fulfillment that accompanied being with like minded people of similar backgrounds and upbringing.

The room was relatively silent as only a few other students had begun filing in from lunch. My thoughts wandered away from me, bringing me back to the crowded room, to catching the new girl's eye, to her blush. I had to wonder where else she might blush. Would it start in her cheeks, slide down her neck, linger on her collarbones? Would it go lower? And because I was thinking about her I couldn't help but over hear the rushed whispering of her name on the other's lips. Isabella Swan. That was her name.

She was in my class. Advanced Biology. That was unexpected. And even more so was the fact that she was walking on Mike Newton's arm, a smug grin plastered across his disgusting, greaser face. Mike's parents owned a couple of stores in town, rented houses, that kind of thing. It made him think he could run with the big kids. He couldn't, the guy just couldn't keep up, but that didn't stop him from trying. It would almost be flattering if it weren't so utterly annoying.

As she handed Banner a slip of pink paper, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, one shoe scuffing it's mate, I realized that my table, my small haven was about to be interrupted. By the new sheriff's daughter. She would be in my face everyday. He could use her as a spy! But the seat next to me was the only one free. I was trapped. Why couldn't she have taken Earth Science like most of the other girls in our year? They built their own planetariums, they tied science into home economics, made it useful. No, she had to be there, getting in my way, butting in where she most certainly did not belong. So I didn't move my stack of books, she would have to ask me to, or they were going to stay right where they were. I was not putting myself out for the new girl, no matter how good she looked in a sweater.

Taking her seat the scent of strawberries and cream washed over me. She smelled like a cool summer afternoon, sat on the patio, enjoying the sunshine and sipping lemonade. It was heavenly. It was completely unacceptable.

Placing her belongings on the table in front of her she tried to maneuver around my things, biting her lip, staying quiet. But finally with a deep intake of breath she rushed, "Would you mind if I moved these over just a little? I'm sorry," she apologized, teeth still clinging to the ripe flesh of her mouth, her cheeks burning. I was immediately hard.

With a gasp I snatched up my books and quickly, strategically covered myself from her or anyone else's curious gaze. But that was my only reply, I was otherwise completely silent, ignoring her existence. She turned away, allowing her hair to cascade down as a curtain, blocking her from my view. I checked again to see if she was looking and she wasn't. In fact, she never even cast me another glance, as if I were some pitiful thing, beneath her. That was a laugh. The new girl was a frigid bitch, a snob. I gripped the edge of the table, my free hand balling into a fist. I would have wagered she was a tease too and maybe a gold digger after the way she had shamelessly been touching Newton, flirting with him. I resolved to warn my friends about her later that evening and be done with the entire thing. Miss Isabella Swan was no good, that much was obvious.

A/N2 - Thanks for reading! I know it's short but I think this will have a lot of frequently updated shorter chapters in the future. The next couple are already complete in fact. Reviews are love!

Disclaimer - I do not own Twilight or the characters within, just the idea of this story.


	2. He's A Rebel

Forks, Washington - 1955

Bella

Forks, Washington was officially the most boring down in the United States and on top of that it never seemed to stop raining. But that was where we had moved; better pay and promise of a more wholesome environment dragging my father north, away from our home in Phoenix. Not that I had been happy in Arizona but it was the principle of the thing. I did not want to live on the Olympic Peninsula where people constantly bragged, actually bragged, that nothing ever happened. Within minutes of our arrival, driving down Main Street, the eye of every towns person on us, I knew that Forks would be the absolute worst. People looked like loggers. Girls had to wear kerchiefs to protect their hair from the ever present drizzle. And raincoats with boots, I couldn't imagine things being any worse. And I was sure to slip and fall in the rain my first time out in public, I was certain of it.

But Charlie's mind was made up. This cloudy, wet place, so green and so unlike our former residence would be just the ticket. Get his daughter on the right track, introduce her to some nice boy that wanted to be a cop, keep her out of any and all forms of trouble. Not that I really blamed the old man; after mom walked out when I was fourteen, I had started acting out, not behaving like the nice girl I was supposed to be. But part of me always thought if I was bad enough, she's come back to fix it. She didn't and now I doubted she would even be able to find us. I had to settle on the fact that mom was gone. Not that that would actually make me shape up, start acting like a goodie goodie or anything, in truth, it just wasn't my style.

For my father's sake I at least tried to look the part though. He was the new sheriff after all, people needed to respect him. I had to give a pretense of being his sweet little girl for our very interested audience. I could only imagine the kinds of things the town gossips were already whispering behind our backs; no mother, renting a house on what I knew was decidedly the wrong side of town. And soon I was sure they would discover I drank, I smoke, I swore, I road around in cars with boys, and it would get back to Charlie that they were talking. I wanted to protect him from that at least until he was comfortable in our new home. So I would try and pray that nothing, and no one came across my path to distract me from my mission. Famous last words.

None the less I arrived prompt and one time, dressed appropriately for both the town and the weather on my first day of school at Forks Senior High School. I had a large collection of both full, petticoated skirts and calf-length pencil skirts but personally I preferred pants, not that I could get away with them in Forks. I had tugged on a fitted white sweater with a sweet boatneck and paired it with a voluminous, bright blue skirt, layers of netting underneath scratching at my bare legs. I couldn't be bothered with kitten heels or pumps, it was raining. Were people crazy? I wore saddle shoes with white socks, gave my hair a quick brushing and slipped a headband on to keep it in place as I waded through the oppressive humidity out of doors.

Charlie, my father, dropped me at the front door and handed me a brown bag lunch, which I eyed dubiously. Had he packed it? I offered him a small smile before climbing out of the new police cruiser. "Thanks, Dad. I'll see you tonight after work."

"Do you want me to come back and pick you up?" He grinned, already knowing the answer. Not over my dead body.

"No. I'll find a ride from someone or just walk. You have a good first day at the station. Show those guys who's the boss down there!" And then I was gone, running through the door to the office and getting out of the rain as quickly as possible. I hated cold. I hated wet. And so far I hated Forks.

The kids were nice enough; some total square, nerd supreme offered to help me find my first class. I tried to be polite, smile, answer his questions but all I wanted was to get away, sneak out onto the lawn, have a cigarette and come up with an excuse to get me out of the house that night. I needed to meet some kids, girls, ones who liked to go out but that Charlie could find no issue with, and I had to find them soon. If I had to spend anymore time with Eric I would scream.

He walked me right to the door even though it was clearly marked; either he thought I was an imbecile or he was trying to buy some more time with me. I really hoped he wouldn't ask me for a date, he seemed nice enough, I really didn't want to have to turn him down within moments of arriving. Before he could say another word I smiled mildly and ducked into the classroom with a quick, "Thank you."

By lunch I had actually met half a dozen people, a few girls, a couple of guys. Jessica, a girl I shared two classes with, filled me in on years worth of gossip, refusing to pause for even one breath. She pointed out each table as we entered the cafeteria, described its occupants, what they were like, known for, how long she had known them. In most cases it was her entire life. I was bored to tears after only a few minutes, how did she manage to survive a lifetime of it?

She invited me to sit at her table with a group of kids that I recognized from my classes. They all looked nice enough, chatty, bubbly. Someone had to know something going on that night; it was Friday. Saturday was always date night in Phoenix and I hoped it would be the same in my new home. I was dying to get out and see something other than babies being pushed down Main Street and flannel backed men carrying axes, laughing to one another. Boresville.

We paused by the table as I turned, watching everyone's attention fall directly on me, the room quieting down almost immediately. They were all staring, I was a zoo animal on display. And that was when I felt it: a surge of electricity traveling up my spine, making my flesh tingle. I glanced up, our eyes caught and I was mesmerized. Striking green eyes, a shock of barely tamed auburn hair, a black button-front shirt open at the top revealing the tantalizing view of a white undershirt. His face was angular but beautiful. I couldn't breathe. I looked away, flushed, excited, awed, and embarrassed at having been caught staring. I felt the heat rising in my cheeks and rushed to take a seat beside Jessica to hide my burning face from view.

"Who is that?" I whispered conspiratorially to a girl beside me, Angela I thought. She had a pretty face, long blond hair swept back with tortoiseshell combs, a pink cardigan draped over her thin shoulders. As she looked up to see who I meant, I spared another glance for him. He was sat with two girls and two boys; they were all attractive, wholesome, freshly scrubbed and dressed in expensive clothes. I had a guess before my new friend even spoke.

"That's Edward Cullen," she replied.

Jessica giggled on my other side, leaning in to join the conversation without invitation. "Bella's already checking out the Riches! They're radioactive and super tight. No one gets in with them unless they have a cherry car, a pocket full of cash, and all the best threads from Seattle."

Angela laughed, "So pretty much no one gets in. They are too cool for school."

"They race their cars on the dirt road just outside of town, near the reservation?" I nodded but had no clue where she meant. "It's the rough part of town but everyone goes there on Friday nights to watch them."

"You should come! It's a kick," Angela declared tugging on my sleeve. Jessica frowned, her lips pursing as she turned to glance at Mike Newton, a blond boy from my first period class who had joined us.

"You totally should, Bella! I could pick you up. I was already taking Angela, Tyler, and Jessica. Always room for one more!" Mike was a square to the tenth degree but I sure as hell wanted to go.

"Great! That'd be swell of you," I smiled and when Mike offered to walk me to my next class I agreed even as Jessica glared.

Angela walked with us to Biology, it was college prep, advanced in Forks but I had taken the same class the year prior in Phoenix. Handing the teacher my slip it was all I could do not to sigh, tap my toe, ask for the bathroom pass. I still hadn't had a smoke. There were constantly people around me, crowding me, not giving me a moments peace.

The teacher, an old codger if I ever saw one, pointed me in the direct of the one empty seat and it just happened to be next to the one boy in the whole school that had caught my eye. I was suddenly shy, nervous, completely unlike myself and mentally cursed as I nearly tripped in my haste to sit down.

He smelled delicious but I shook my head. Edward Cullen was not for me. All I had to do was look at him to know; expensive slacks, jacket slung casually over the back of his chair, relaxed posture, the jawline of a Greek god. All signs pointed to out of my league. Boys like that dated girls that looked and acted like Doris Day. I couldn't possibly measure up.

His books were all over the table as he stared straight ahead, avoiding having to make eye contact or even greet me. I might have been offended if I hadn't been exposed to such behavior at my last school. The boys who begged for it on Saturday night loved to call you fast, a slut, on Monday morning, everyone snickering, pointing, sneering. And all because I didn't understand the double standard; didn't know why something that made me feel so good, so whole, made me such a bad girl while the guys got to be studs.

It was my first day though so I wasn't going to be rude. I didn't know him. Honestly, prejudging him was just as bad as his preconceived notions about me. I took a steadying breath and turned to face him just as his eyes fell on me, dropping immediately to my lips, which I licked, bit, and sucked watching the corded muscles in his neck tighten and strain.

"Would you mind if I moved these over just a little? I'm sorry," I asked, offering a small smile as I motioned to his belongings. His only response was to glare at the board, exhale a blast of air from his nose, and snatch his things up. He kept them real close too like I was the sort of girl who got a kick out of swiping things, a thief. And that was the end of it.

His dismissal stung, wounded me; I hid behind my hair. He really thought he was better than me. Edward Cullen was just another snobby rich kid from the fancy side of town, and he wanted me to know it. What a jerk. The bell could not ring too soon. And I would have to spend the rest of the year sat there, next to him. Dragsville, population me.

Later, as I leaned against the brick wall at the back of the building, avoiding the courtyard and my fellows, I was finally able to enjoy a cigarette. I stared off into the dense woods behind the school mulling over Biology and the beautiful boy I was forced to sit beside. I didn't know if I wanted to go steady or serve him a knuckle sandwich, but either way I couldn't get him off of my mind. He was likely racing his car that night, girls would be throwing themselves at him. I would be disgusted, find someone else, get them to ask me out to the drive-in, or the Passion Pit as we had called it back at home, for the following evening. We'd neck, I would go farther than my father imagined in his nightmares and then I would go home, Edward entirely forgotten.

But just at that moment, as I inhaled, exhaled, closed my eyes and pictured myself in the backseat of a big car with that auburn hair clutched between my fingers, his hands lacing their way up my bare thighs, I heard footsteps, shuffling, and a lowly muttered curse. And he was there, those eyes I had just been imagining boring into mine as I pulled another drag from my smoke, saying nothing, offering him a blank stare.

He came up beside me, scowling, mouth twisted into a sour grimace, patting his pockets, a stick already dangling from his pouty, full, kissable lips.

"Light?" I offered.

"Uh, thanks," he took the lighter from me, flashing it open and closed with expert skill, rubbing the cool metal with the pad of his thumb, making me bite my lip in sheer want.

I thought about throwing myself into his arms, pressing my mouth against his, and breathing in his minty, fresh scent. But I didn't, I stayed still, averted my eyes. He was just some pretty-boy elitist who thought he was better than me, than everyone and I certainly did not need any drama like that in my life even though Charlie would probably wet himself if I brought home a boy like Edward Cullen. So I sighed, dropped my smoke onto the wet pavement and went to walk away.

My arm caught, sleeve pulled, his hand on me, and I tripped over my own feet, falling into him and finding myself pressed against his chest, my hand pinned between us. He sucked in a breath as if in pain, heat rushed to my cheeks, down my neck, disappearing under my sweater but he didn't let go. My eyes were draw to his, to examine their shade, that extraordinary green, up close. As he gazed down at me, eyes trained on my lips, I found myself wetting them unconsciously. And then we were kissing, going at it like crazy.

Edward spun us so that I was pressed against the wall, his body crowding me, one hand next to my head, the other wrapped possessively around my waist, his fingers caressing, tickling. I sighed against his mouth, which he took as an open invitation to run his tongue along mine, tasting me, devouring me. Of their own volition my hands slid over his muscular chest, wrapping around his neck, teasing the hair at his nape and making him groan, step closer. I yearned to mold my body against his, to feel the hard heat of him all over.

And as I struggled to gain purchase against the wall, trying to get nearer he suddenly wrenched himself away, head turning quickly. It looked as though he would snap his neck in his haste. There were voices around the corner.

"Sorry," he muttered, kissed me again. "I've got to split," his lips lingered on mine as he panted, eyes closed. I stared back stunned, not only at his imminent departure but at the fact that the kiss had occurred in the first place. And then he was gone.

By the time I arrived to PE, handed my slip to the teacher, and received a wretched, ill-fitting uniform, I realized that my lighter was gone. My grandfather's lighter. "Shit," I whispered knowing exactly who had it and that I would have to get it back.

A/N - I am enjoying writing this little piece way too much. So thanks to anyone out there reading, reviewing, whatever! You're fab. Keep in touch, daddy-o!

Disclaimer - Twilight is not mine.


	3. Earth Angel

_**A/N** - This chapter was written while listening to the soundtrack of Stubbs The Zombie (if you haven't listened to it? You should) and The Wallflower by Etta James. Well, enjoy!_

Edward

I heard them: Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper, they were coming for a smoke. How the new girl had found this place so quickly baffled me. That one was an oddball. But what did that say of me, kissing her? She was there? Not an excuse. I mean, what was I doing? Certainly not thinking. At least not with my head. I didn't know her, who she was, anything about her and she was the daughter of the town's new chief of police. Clearly I needed to continually remind myself of that fact. She could go running home to Daddy, screaming, crying that she had just been pawed by some pervert at school. Then I'd be in a real tick; arrested, banned from Dartmouth, probably from any decent university.

"Damn her," I muttered, fists balled at my sides as I moved quickly to intercept my friends. I did not need them to see what or who I had just been interacting with. Bella Swan's mere presence was like a punishment. She had been sent to torture me.

"Ed," Emmett called, waving me toward him. "We're going to be late for Latin!" Reprieved. They wouldn't see her. But as I caught up with them, fell into step, hand in my pocket, I felt something. It was smooth, cool to the touch and entirely foreign. It was her lighter: old, silver, intricately carved, and very masculine. I sighed, knowing she would want it back. It was probably her father's or something. All I needed was to have it on me, to get caught with it. Lord, in one day, with one girl, I could have been accused of perversion and theft.

There was no way around it that I could figure; I would be forced back into the company of the Swan girl, all be it briefly, but there was no avoiding it. Better on my terms than on hers. And I swore that the next time I would keep my wandering, thoughtless hands and lips to myself. But as I took my seat in class a thought, unbidden as it was, nagged at me: would Bella be at The Road? Would she see me race? What would she think? Why did I care, I huffed, shaking my head with self-pity and disgust. She was just a girl and one I certainly had no interest in knowing. The lower half of my body obnoxiously disagreed.

A few girls had talked me into driving them to The Road; I knew they were more interested in arriving with me, in my car, than they were in my company but I wasn't looking for conversation with them either. Kate, Tanya, and Irina lived in my neighborhood, came from good families, and never wore black eyeliner like some girls I had recently met. They were wholesome American girls. The type you brought home to your mom and pops, the marrying types. Unlike some other girls who willing made out with strangers behind the school. I shook my head, angrily running a hand through my hair, ruining my earlier work at taming it. I really had to get her off of my mind; give the lighter back and stay away. But be cool about it. I groaned. Something was wrong with me.

By the time I met up with Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, and Alice they were all waiting. Alice was goofing around, Rosalie looked on, bored. They were passing a bottle between them, something girls drank that smelled like peppermints.

"Is she drunk?" I asked, pointing my thumb at Jasper's girl.

"Oh, Eddie," Alice giggled, pushing my arm lightly. "You want?" she proffered the bottle.

"Uh, no, thank you," I removed the flask I had stashed in the pocket of my jeans and took a deep pull of perfectly aged scotch.

Moments later we watched as Newton pulled up; his car filled with kids as usual. There were a couple of guys from the football team, some cheerleaders, a guy I knew from debate, and lastly, one Miss Bella Swan. Of course. Mike offered his hand as she exited the car, she took it, smirking, choking back a snort, which made me smile. What a cheese-ball. Newton was a geek.

But as she climbed out, one peep toed pump planted firmly on the dirt road, one long, smooth, alabaster leg appearing I all but choked. Not dressed as a sweet little school girl anymore. God, she was a dolly. I bit my lip, straining, all I could think about was marching over, throwing myself in front of her and demanding the other males in the vicinity stop eyeballing her. Right that very minute! And then I would cream Newton; he wouldn't be recognizable when I was through with him.

There was a ruckus behind me. Car doors slammed, feet beat the street, and there was a primal, female screech of joy. "Bella!" Alice screamed, clapping, waving, and otherwise squawking like a bird.

The girl in question flicked her eyes up, scanning the crowd, settling first on me and then finally on the tiny noisemaker behind me. For the latter she had a brilliant wave and a smile, for me a wink and a sway of her hips. It was unbearably sexy.

She strolled casually in our direction. Emmett came up beside me, exhaling in a rush, "Does anyone remember the new girl being so very cherry this morning?" Jasper shook his head in the negative, cigarette dangling from his lips as he came to stand on my other side. Rosalie huffed at not being the center of attention, flipped her hair, and wandered off to chat with Tanya.

"I'm so happy you're here," Alice gushed, offering Bella her bottle and squealing as she took a long sip, then offered a bottle of her own. It had peaches on the label. Alice all but tackled her for it. When had they become such great pals?

Beside her black peep-toes, which made her at least three inches taller, Bella wore a skintight black pencil skirt, flared just slightly at her calves where a slit inched its way toward her knees. Her sweet dimpled knees, my mind thought. Would they fall apart invitingly or would I have to work my way between them? And her little sweater, I nearly groaned out loud, it was indecent. A deep purple, knit, collared shirt. Top button, undone. A green scarf tied fashionably around her neck. Her nails were painted blood red and the headband had been abandoned, there was only long, curled mahogany hair. Everywhere. I imagined twining it around my fingers, getting a fistful, giving it a tug.

Shaking my head, trying to clear such disturbing thoughts from my mind I nodded in Jasper's direction, "Good luck with that one later," but he only grinned, thumbs in his pockets, smoke curling around his perfectly coiffured blond head.

The girls were gabbing, tossing their hair, preening as we watched on, all pretending not to notice. The races would start up soon and I wasn't nearly drunk enough. Emmett grabbed a few beers, passing them around. Mike Newton, Tyler, and some of their cronies appeared with a bottle of bathtub gin, it was practically moonshine, which they happily shared. It burned all the way down and sat in my stomach like a ball of fire but I felt alive.

Eventually Rosalie reappeared, a baseball cap in hand as was the custom and asked three of the six of us racing to draw out a name.

Emmett got Newton, smirked, and smacked the guy on the back. He stood no chance against our boy's unreal ride. Alec pulled Felix. And that only left two, Jasper and myself, again. It was too perfect. To demolish him two weeks in a row would be one fine trophy.

"No way. You rigged this," he hissed at his sister. She shrugged, turned to walk away as Emmett slapped her tightly covered rear, laughing.

"You better haul ass this time, man or you're going to be the lamest duck in the pond come Monday at school," Emmett barked.

"So," I asked casually, flicking some imaginary lint from my jacket, trying to keep my eyes from falling on Bella every few seconds and failing miserably, "you want to place a wager?" Jasper looked uneasy. "I mean, you're not scared are you? It's not like you're some chicken. You're a Hale."

Glancing over again I saw her eyes were on me. When she caught me looking she quickly averted her gaze but I could still make out the smile on her face. And why did I suddenly care so much? Only hours before I had been dead set against the girl. Why was she even there, making my life more difficult than it had to be, distracting me.

"What terms?" Jasper sighed.

Grinning, I suggested, "I win? Party at your old man's house next weekend when they go down to Seattle."

Jasper groaned, "That old bat will kill me if he finds out, Ed."

"Then don't take the bet."

"And be called a chicken for it? No, thank you. But if I win you give Newton first dibs on the new girl."

I narrowed my eyes but agreed. I had this made in the shade. And what did I even care about Bella Swan?

Jasper got to draw for race position and we drew first. That was good, I liked to get my race out of the way. When you won it gave people a lot more time to offer you drinks, chat you up, make eyes at you.

Rose always started the races, no other girl even bothered to try. And so Jasper and I pulled up the the imaginary line, his sister calling out orders, making sure we were even. Around us cars had lined the road bathing it with light. Bella leaned against the hood of Newton's car. I would rather have seen her on my hood, I thought with a definite grin; spread out watching the stars, spread out under, around, all over me.

I wondered if she was the kind of girl to go ape as the cars barreled down the road, dirt flying, chasing after to see the race from beginning to end. Would she cheer for me? Would she flip if I won? Alice was that kind of girl, always excited, Rose on the other hand could be a real wet blanket. But Bella wasn't mine, I had no expectations, wasn't entitled to anything because of one shared, desperate kiss.

Alice was making her way out to Jasper's side, he was the far car, and as she walked, hips swaying in her tight little skirt, the boys all hooted and hollered. She waved them off, smiling, giggling, moving like a complete spazz after so much booze. Jasper kept his eye on me as she bent forward and slipped half way through the window, her tiny, pert ass up in the air as she planted kiss after good luck kiss on him. I sighed. Even if he lost the race, at least he had a girl who was totally gone for him to cuddle up with and make him feel all better.

Caught in my reverie I missed her approach, didn't even manage to notice her until she was right at my window. Bella breathed a warm, "Hi, Edward," in my ear and made me nearly jump out of my skin. She smelled like flowers with that underlying scent of strawberry and on top of it all was fruity liquor. Her hair swirled around us as she leaned in, smiling from ear to ear. Her eyes were once again lined with black and her lips were red, all against the pale creaminess of her skin. She looked ethereal, like some dark angel.

"Oh," I stammered awkwardly. "Hello."

"I didn't think it was fair that Jasper got a good luck kiss and you didn't." My brain couldn't keep up with her words; I was pondering the phrasing, did she mean that she would kiss me? Running through options I was almost surprised to find her sweet, supple lips already on mine, pressing firmly. A breathy little sigh escaped her and I tugged her further forward, nearly into my car I was so lost in her.

"Ahem," we heard from behind us. Rosalie clearing her throat.

"Oops," Bella laughed. "We have to stop meeting like this." Nodding like a fool, I said nothing, only watched as her hands skimmed along the neckline of her shirt before resting on the scrap of fabric tied there. The next second it was being pushed into my hand, "For luck."

I grinned, looking down at the green silk, rubbing it between my fingers, lifting it to my nose and inhaling the delicious perfume that lingered there.

"Win this one for me, will you?" she asked, tossing me a wink and hurrying back over to the sidelines without another word. The crowd openly gaped. Girls did not just kiss Edward Cullen; sure they threw themselves at me but they were almost always rebuffed. Jessica Stanley glared. Lauren Mallory's jaw was on the floor. Tanya, Kate, and Irina tittered about like chickens. Rosalie was bored again. Of the people I noticed only Alice appeared pleased. I always liked Alice. That kookie girl was a-okay in my book.

However the bulge in my pants was not, it was a serious distraction. I looked down at it in anguish, glaring, willing it and then demanding it to depart. It didn't. It was still there as I parked, race over, Jasper sulking over his losing streak, Alice repeatedly kissing his cheek and plying him with more booze.

I emerged from my parked car to whoops and cheers, Emmett slapping me on the back, Tyler offering me a drunken toast but my eyes immediately sought her out. There was a whirl of thick, gorgeous hair I thought might have been hers but she was gone, no where in the crowd. I moved forward, searching. I had won, had she seen? With her colors no less but where was she? Not there to offer me congratulations, or another searing kiss, I thought glumly.

She probably went of with some other guy. That was the kind of girl she was; liked kissing boys, slipping off to be alone with them. She had done it with me, what would stop her from doing it with Felix or Alec or even Newton for that matter? I shook my head, angry at her, angry at myself for being a fool. I had known right from the start that she had been bad news but I ignored my instincts, let myself get my hopes us, and for what? The thrill of my lips on hers? The press of her soft, supple little body against mine? Well, a girl like Bella Swan might have been good at that but she wouldn't be at anything else I was sure. Fast girls didn't make good wives or mothers. Not that I was looking for a wife. I growled, tugging at my hair aggressively, and stormed off back to my car, climbed in, slammed the door and shut out the world. Then continued to down the rest of my flask. And half of the bottle of gin in my glove compartment. Lord, she was already driving me to the drink. Women. What a hassle.

My head lulled drunkenly against the seat as I fiddled with the radio, looking for a song to catch my interest and settled on something new by Etta James, something about rolling with Henry but it had a good beat and I tapped the steering wheel, keeping rhythm. A shadow fell across the back window, a twig snapped, echoing loudly against the night, and a face popped up alongside my passenger window. My heart near stopped as I all but knocked over my bottle, cursing up a storm.

Bella giggled, smiling, "You kiss your mother with that mouth?" She was crouching down, glancing nervously behind her every few seconds.

"What?" I slurred, surprised, confused.

"Can I hide in here with you? Mike Newton has been chasing me around since the race ended and I can't seem to shake him," she rolled her eyes. "He's so square he's a cube." I nodded and she scurried in beside me, crashing forward onto the seat and chuckling at her own clumsiness. "I love you car," she enthused, "it's such a hottie!"

"Uh, thank you."

"You're welcome," Bella returned, sliding along the bench seat, coming to sit directly beside me. She brought her almost empty little bottle to her mouth, downing a deep swallow, before replacing the lid and dabbing at her perfect, red pout.

The girl was beyond tipsy, she was destroyed. "I don't like drunk girls," I told her gruffly. "It's unladylike for a woman to be intoxicated."

She glared at me, eyes narrowed, lips set in a grim line, suddenly sizing me up as if I had been the one to disappoint her. Then she arched one stunning eyebrow, smirking, "Well I don't like drunk boys either. So I guess we're even." And I actually found myself laughing out loud, a grin splitting my face, warming my insides. Without thinking I dropped an arm around Bella's slender but shapely shoulders and sighed in contentment. She pulled out a pack of smokes, offered me one, and then waited expectantly for me to give her a light.

"Oh," I suddenly remembered, "I have your lighter." I pulled it out, lit both of our sticks, and handed it back to her. Her face brightened, she looked like she was going to hug me or kiss me, either of which I would have found acceptable in that moment, but she didn't. Instead she dropped the piece of cool metal in her little black bag and exhaled a cloud of smoke.

"So, what are you hiding from?"

"Me?" I asked. How did she mean?

"Yeah, I mean, you won. You should be out there celebrating," she waved her cigarette, gesturing to the crowd gathered just beyond. The next race was starting, Emmett and Newton. Guess Mike wouldn't be getting any good luck kisses from Bella. I wondered if he was fuming. I hoped so. Jerk.

"I wasn't really in the mood, I suppose," I answered, inhaling, releasing the smoke, and dropping my cigarette out the open window before rolling it up against the chill night air. Bella did the same.

"Oh, really?" she smirked, leaning in and kissing me. Just like that! Her lips were sweet, tasted like the booze she'd been drinking, and slick. I groaned against her mouth, gripping her waist and clutching her to me. She let out a squeak of surprise before giggling and melting against me.

Her skirt was skin tight, which felt amazing when my hands were on her ass but I couldn't get her close enough, couldn't get the feel of her, the friction I was desperate for. Fingers raked through my hair, dragging along my scalp, driving me wild. Without warning I flipped her back, laid her out on the seat, and climbed on top her. It was just like a fantasy. And then she moaned. What a thrill!

"You like that?" I grunted, my hand trailing from her waist, along her rib cage and settling experimentally on her left breast. When she did not protest I gave it a squeeze, relishing in my good luck, grinning against her lips.

Bella's little hands were everywhere: in my hair, running up and down my back, gripping my hips. She was struggling against the confines of her skirt so being a gentlemen I offered assistance. "Can I?" I didn't know what exactly to ask, what was appropriate, so I left the question die there, let her interpret it.

"Yes," she panted against my ear, hot puffs of breath sending shivers down my spine. "Just push it," she paused, squirming, "up."

My head dropped into the crook of her neck, as I ground my erection into her. She wanted me to push her skirt up, to reveal those sweet little knees, her creamy white thighs. I nearly came undone. The only response I could formulate was an inarticulate, "Ugh."

The two of us working together managed to work the offending garment up, not all the way mind you but enough for me to kneel between her parted thighs, to feel the heat that built there, burning me through my jeans. When my lips returned to hers I thought I could have died a happy man. If that was going to be my end, it would have been well worth it.

I couldn't control my hands. They snaked their way along the bared flesh of her legs, from calf to knee and beyond. When they traced the edge of her satin panties, Bella stilled, took a deep breath and placed her hands on my chest, pushing me back. Panting, her face flushed, she uttered a pained, quiet, "Stop, Edward."

"What?" My brain rushed to catch up. It had been existing without blood since the moment I caught her eye in the school cafeteria.

"I think we need to slow down," she glanced away, nervous. Her hair was a tangled mess, her lipstick smeared across her mouth and chin. There was a dark purple bruise on her neck where I had marked her.

I was still mentally stumbling on behind her, my dick throbbing, pressed against my fly, begging for release. "But, I thought," I didn't know what I thought, but I most certainly did not want to stop.

"What? That I'd go all the way with you in your car? The day I met you? With a crowd of people right outside?" She looked shocked, dismayed. "What kind of a girl do you think I am?" She practically shrieked at me. I just shrugged in return. Hell, I didn't know. I just wanted to be inside of her.

Quickly straightening out her clothing, fingers combing through her hair, she angrily threw open the passenger side door and climbed out of my car in a huff.

"Bella!" I called after her, fingers roughly dragging through my hair. What was wrong with me?

She glared back at me, "Good night, Edward," she said with steel in her tone. And that was it, she turned, and walked away, a dangerous sway to her beautiful hips. I groaned, slamming my head against the steering wheel, muttering curses at myself. I was a fucking moron.

_**A/N (ii)** - A quick thanks to anyone and everyone who is lurking, reading, reviewing. I really appreciate it and I hope you liked the chapter. I know it liked you. You're so very cherry. Updates coming soon! - E._

_Disclaimer - Twilight is not mine. Only this specific story idea is._


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